WILTON, Conn. – Extensive and historically significant records of Civil War generals (one for the Union, one for the Confederacy), a typewritten letter signed by Albert Einstein regarding God and science and regarding one of his most famous quotes , and Bob Dylan’s handwritten lyrics to the timeless classic Times are changing’ are just some of the highlights of the next major University Archives online auction, scheduled for Wednesday, June 22.
The autograph, manuscript and rare book auction, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, features historical material from several collectible categories. All 481 lots are now open for viewing and auction (on the University Archives website www.UniversityArchives.com), as well as on LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Tenders and tenders accepted.
“The June 22 auction is particularly rich in presidential, science, Civil War, art and music autographs and memorabilia,” said John Reznikoff, president and owner of the University Archives. “Aviation/space, sports, ancient American, literary and international collectors will also have ample opportunity to enrich and expand existing collections. It will be a great sale.
The list of major categories is long indeed, to include presidential (Washington to Biden); Sciences (Einstein, Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Carl Sagan, James Watson, others); Art (Van Gogh, Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse, Monet, others); Music (Dylan, Enrico Caruso, Billie Holiday, Huddie Ledbetter, Tupac Shakur, others); and the Civil War (Union and Confederate generals).
Other categories include Early American (Hamilton, Burr, Hancock, John Peter Zenger, others); Aviation and Space (Earhart, Igor Sikorsky, Howard Hughes, Wright Brothers, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Apollo XII, Apollo XV, Apollo-Soyuz, Skylab, others); and world leaders (Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, David Ben Gurion, Castro, Jawaharlal Nehru, Juan Peron, others).
Still other categories include literature (Emile Zola, DH Lawrence, Hermann Hesse, Thomas Mann, Aldous Huxley, Thomas Wolfe, Sylvia Plath, Orwell, Vonnegut, others); Civil Rights (John Brown, Malcolm X, Eldridge Cleaver, Muhammad Ali, Alex Haley, Rosa Parks, others); and Sports (baseball, including Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax).
The Civil War Archives are an amazing collection of signed documents, maps, letters, truncated signatures, business cards and more, of all the generals listed in Ezra J. Warner’s two exhaustive compilations: Generals in gray for Confederation (528 items in six binders) (est. $300,000 to $350,000) and Generals in blue for the Union (630 papers, 12 binders) (est. $175,000-$200,000).
Confederate archives include Robert E. Lee, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Pierre GT Beauregard, James Longstreet and Wade Hampton. The Union Archives include items signed by US Grant, Melancton Wade and Abraham Lincoln, George Meade, James A. Garfield and Winfield Scott Hancock. Both archives are meticulously researched, organized and presented.
In a letter typed in English, signed and dated April 29, 1954, Albert Einstein explains the origins of his scientific motto, “Subtle is the Lord, but not malevolent,” which sums up his personal attitude toward God and spirituality. Einstein first used the motto when responding to another scientist’s claims that he disproved relativity by discovering “ether drift” (est. $60,000-$70,000).
In another post related to Einstein, a signed copy of the first edition of his book in German Mein Weltbild (Where The world as I see it) contains an inscription in which Einstein refers to the “Fall of the German Goyim”. This is the only known instance of Einstein using the controversial Hebrew/Yiddish word for Goyim, or “non-Jew” (estimated at $12,000-$14,000). The book dates from 1934.
Bob Dylan wrote Times are changing’ in the fall of 1963, shortly after Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Washington, wanting to create an anthem for social justice. The singer’s handwritten lyrics, written on one page in 2013 on London’s “The Dorchester” stationery, come with a full JSA LOA (est. $50,000-$60,000).
America’s most famous presidents will be represented in the sale by the following offerings, among many others:
- George Washington audaciously signed (as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army) Frank Frank to Rhode Island Governor Nicholas Cooke in March 1775, just three months after crossing the Delaware River to surprise British and Hessian forces at the Christmas Battle of Trenton. . (est. $12,000 to $14,000). Comes with a PSA/DNA LOA auction.
- Signed Abraham Lincoln, Civil War military appointment dated April 13, 1863, nicely framed, promoting John G. Barnard to Lieutenant Colonel of the Corps of Engineers. Barnard and his fellow engineers ensured safe water crossing for Union troops, in addition to planning siege tactics to better undermine Confederate defenses (est. $7,500-$10,000).
- Thomas Jefferson’s signed dinner invitation as President in December 1805, complete with a rare oval serving bowl belonging to Jefferson Chinese Export, from the collection of Thomas Jefferson Coolidge, Jefferson’s great-grandson. The serving bowl features a “J” monogram and vintage Republican imagery such as the 13 stars (est. $18,000-$20,000).
Hand-written Bible verses by famous Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890), in English and Dutch, over 220 words in total, once owned by another famous artist, Maurice Sendak (1928-2012) , are expected to fetch between $35,000 and $40,000. In addition, a one-page typewritten letter signed by Vladimir Lenin (as “V. Ulyanoc/Lenin”), in Russian, dated December 19, 1919, addressed to Artemic B. Khalatov, the Executed People’s Commissariat more later contains an estimate of $30,000 to $40,000.
A large archive of notes and drafts of speeches relating to Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver, as well as more current notes, spanning a dozen years (1976-1988), comprising 42 pages and over 2,000 words, is expected to fetch $15,000 at $20,000; while a 1790 U.S. Treasury Department circular handwritten and signed by Alexander Hamilton (as “A. Hamilton”), regarding documentation of import and export tonnage, is expected to yield between 12,000 and $15,000.
University archives have become globally recognized as a go-to source for such rare objects. She is actively seeking quality material for future auctions, presenting a rare opportunity for sellers. Anyone with a single item or collection that may be suitable for a future University Archives auction can call John Reznikoff at 203-454-0111 or email him at [email protected]
The University Archives was founded in 1979, as a division of University Stamp Company, by John Reznikoff, who began collecting stamps and coins in 1968, when he was in third grade. Industry-wide, Reznikoff is considered the leading authenticity expert for manuscripts and documents. He consults with law enforcement, dealerships, auction houses, and the two major authentication companies.
The University Archives’ new offices are located at 88 Danbury Rd. (suite 2A) in Wilton, Conn.
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